Dickson Welcomes National Lottery Community Funding for Several Local Projects

East Antrim Alliance MLA, Stewart Dickson, has welcomed support from the National Lottery Community Fund for several local projects.

Mr Dickson said: “From empowering parent carers of disabled children, to celebrating diversity within our community, the National Lottery deserves to be commended once again for their continued support in funding a variety of community projects.

“On behalf of the constituents of East Antrim, I pass on our sincere thanks to both the National Lottery Community Fund, and to all those people actively engaged in the projects that benefit from the Fund’s financial support”.

Local projects in receipt of National Lottery Community Fund grants, include:

Good Morning Carrickfergus who are using an £8,000 grant to buy IT equipment, fund winter gift packs and Christmas treats, and to provide a bi-monthly hot meal for older people and/or vulnerable adults from across the Carrickfergus, Whitehead and Greenisland areas. The project will improve mental wellbeing and reduce isolation.
Business in the Community in partnership with NICVA will use a £10,000 grant to continue to run their Skills Match programme. The online platform enables the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector across Northern Ireland to seek free business skills and expertise from the private sector. The project will provide much needed skills and resources for organisations and help address funding challenges.
Contact A Family (Contact) is using a £261,947 grant to support parent carers of disabled children before, during and after transition to adult services. Over three years the project will make each stage of the transition process clear for parents, giving them options, and empowering them to make informed decisions. The project will also support and provide resources for professionals. Carers UK (NI) will work in partnership on the project and a parent-led steering group will be set up.
The Federation of Women's Institutes of Northern Ireland is using a £10,000 grant to develop a new accessible website which features a secure member-only area. This will allow their branches to store resources and documents securely which will be used to keep their activities going to support women.
Stonewall Equality is using a £10,000 grant to create a new online resource that will profile and celebrate a diverse mix of LGBTQ+ people from across Northern Ireland. The project will provide local role models to inspire greater visibility and understanding of Northern Ireland’s diverse LGBTQ+ community.
TechDesk CIC is using a £9,381 grant to cover their running costs so they can continue to offer low-cost remote IT support and advice to a range of charities and third sector organisations across Northern Ireland. This will allow those organisations to access affordable support for their digital work.